EXTERNAL PARASITES 221 
THE POWL TICK 
Designations. Argas miniatus (A. Americanus). In various 
sections of the country the tick is designated by such popular names 
as tampan, blue bug or blood sucker. It has been referred to in 
the literature as the miana bug, from whence its specific name is 
derived. 
Hosts. Besides infesting fowls, it attacks turkeys, geese, pig- 
eons, ostriches and canaries. 
Fic. 53. Distribution of the fowl tick (Argas miniatus) in the United States. 
The large dots indicate localities where this tick has been collected by the 
Bureau of Entomology. The small dots show the normal distribution of 
the species within the United States. (Bishopp, Bureau of Entomology, 
U. S. Dept. Agr.) 
Injury produced. Bishopp summarizes the ways in which harm 
is done as follows: (1) Through death which may occur in poultry 
of all ages; (2) by the lowering of the vitality of the fowl so as to 
make it readily susceptible to disease; (3) by greatly reducing egg 
production; (4) by stunting the growth of chickens; and (5) by 
disturbing sitting hens. He further observes that death may be 
caused by gross infestation which drains the fowl of blood and 
